Hey, I have a friend who is having a birthday today. She is turning… awesome! Stupendous! Magnificent! And—most importantly—OLDER THAN ME. So I will nod sympathetically and pat her hair (or at least try to, from afar) all the while hoping that she will be nice to me when I reach… the birthday she’s at now.

Maybe you know my friend? Joshilyn Jackson? Seems like perhaps some of you know her. And perhaps you know that her new book just came out. Why, I’m stalking my UPS guy daily, waiting for my copy. Although, who am I kidding? I will end up going to the bookstore and buying a copy because delivery is taking too long, just like I did with her other books. And then one of my OTHER friends will get the other copy for one of THEIR birthdays.

It’s good to have friends who write books you can’t wait to read. I’m not entirely sure what Joss gets out of her side of this relationship, but damn if I haven’t already gotten some awesome reading material.

If you don’t want to go buy The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, maybe you’d prefer to go win a signed copy of it, instead. Or you could attempt to do both—an extra copy surely won’t end up going to waste. I love that Dee is asking folks to dish on the most extreme thing you did to meet a famous person. I happen to know that if you refer to Joshilyn as famous that it causes her eyes to roll right out of her head (and that’s really not a good look for anyone, though it IS pretty amusing), but the various stories I’ve read of folks making arrangements to meet her are always good ones. Why, I did my own share of stalking back in the day. Oh yes, I did.

The funny thing is that back then, I thought Joss couldn’t possibly want to be friends with someone like me, because she’s a big fancy novelist and I am… ummm… a small unfancy freelancer. But of course after a few stints in front of the mirror telling myself that I’m good enough and smart enough I finally realized that we have plenty in common (mental illness, for one thing, hooray!) and actually the differences in our careers are very central to our relationship.

Like, it gives us something to talk about when we’re drinking wine together.

It starts with me saying “I could never be a novelist! What you do is SO HARD and AMAZING!”

And then she says “I could never write for all those places you do, every single day! That would be SO HARD and also I both love you and hate you for finding all those shoe deals!”

And then I say “But you make stuff up! Good stuff!”

And then she says “But you find useful things! Good things!”

And then we have some more wine and possibly some chocolate and then we braid each others’ hair. So it all works out.

I wish I were a crazier person and had a better story. Thanks for the heads up on the contest, and I did my best, but geez! We introverts have a hard time doing idiotic things to meet the famous. Maybe I should make the two hour drive out to Pioneer Woman’s ranch and stake a tent on her lawn. Do you think then I’d win the contest? I think the likelihood of being arrested is much higher than of winning that contest. Hmmm.

Been there, wished that (that happy birthday wish). Can I ask a question on your blog because I am too embarrassed to ask it on hers? I am planning to go to her book signing in March. My second book signing ever and the first being like 12 years ago. Can I buy the book now and bring it with me for her to sign or do I need to buy the book AT the book signing?

This isn’t totally off topic, right? I’m only asking because I think she rocks even when it isn’t her birthday and since I have the feeling I will make an ass of myself in so many other ways, I want to spare myself this particular embarrassment. Help a nerd out, would you please?

Flea – I’m with you – introverts have a difficult time with those things! I’m worse if it’s a famous person who I really like [gads help if he’s also cute – my IQ slips about 100 points]. I’ve got “Mum-mode” stories [you know, the things you do for kids to meet someone they want to meet but freeze upon meeting so you swoop in and become Uber-Mum and chase down a mascot or something …], but that’s not real “stalker” stuff, right??? :-)

Okay, since I’ve no idea who this author is [yes, I do live under a rock, why do you ask?] I need to find out.

Oh Em Gee! I cannot believe this is the first I’m hearing of a new book from JJ. I knew there was a reason I read the fabulous Mir daily (besides the fact that you’re soooo pretty! and your words are soooo pretty!). Hmmm, can I possibly wait the 5 1/2 hours to be released from work, so I can fly (no I’ll just drive fast) over to Chapters and see if they have the book. Or should I just fake sick right now, skip Chapters (cause they probably don’t stock it…stupid Canada!) and drive over the border in search of a book store? Decisions, decisions.

I bought my copy of Gods in Alabama in Tulalip, Washington and Between, Georgia in the Denver Airport. You know you’ve read a fantastic book when you remember exactly where you bought it…and what you were wearing.

She’s older than me, too! But so cool that I spent two years NEVER missing a Wednesday night church supper JUST so I could sit by her and bask in the glow of her prettiness. Which is the craziest thing I’ve ever done to meet a famous person. Perhaps I should get out more.

Unfortunately I’m older than Joss so I gave her some birthday advice about turning forty-it’s not so bad…!
I’m going to her book signing in march too,I got to meet her at her last book signing, she’s funny and cool!

Sadly, I’ve never TRIED to meet a famous person, so I couldn’t enter the contest. I sorta knew Rich Grieco in college to say “Hi” to, but that was before his fleeting famousness. I don’t think that’ll win me any book!

If you want to make a deal with her, offer to let her smell the baby’s head rather than to let her kiss the baby’s cheeks, but you can’t miss if you offer both. ;-) Let her tell you all about bacon and chocolate and beer/cheese bread, but she’s a baby’s head junkie all the way.

I met Joss by stalking her, so maybe I should run over there and admit it. Kinda planned to meet you the same way- that is if you’ll be at her “coming out party” at The Margaret Mitchell House. I’ll be the one waving blog pages and checking comments on my Blackberry… oh, and buying drinks at the bar across the street, though I doubt they’ll have Joshilyn’s Yoohoo cocktail- we may have to settle for Martoonies.